


Bedside Promises

by distant_rose



Series: Little Pirates [22]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: And Emma wishes he would just follow the doctor's directions, Domestic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, In which Killian just wants to see his kids, Swan-Jones Family, Traumatized small children, Worried!Emma, and Harrison worries too much, hurt!Killian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 16:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11832975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distant_rose/pseuds/distant_rose
Summary: In which, Killian ends up in the hospital and wants nothing more than to see his kids while Emma tries to get him to behave. Meanwhile young Harrison Jones is terrified of the concept of his father's morality. (Tumblr prompt)





	Bedside Promises

**Author's Note:**

> Anon tumblr prompt asks for: "Emma or Killian gets really really hurt while fighting a villain/monster of the week. Kids react to their parent getting really, really hurt for the first time (ft lots of worried and overly attentive spouse)." This has been sitting in my tumblr inbox for a long time and I apologize for that. Anyway, I tried my best on this one. I hope you enjoy it after waiting for it for so long.

Killian Jones wakes up to the most annoying and insistent beeping he’s ever heard and the taste of cotton in his mouth. His head is cloudy, like it’s full of candy floss, and there’s a dull ache in his chest that feels like someone is pressing insistently against his side.

He blinks for a moment, eyes adjusting to the harsh lighting as he takes in his surroundings. He knows where he is. He’s in a hospital bed in Storybrooke General. It’s been quite a while since he’s been here and the last time that he was in a hospital bed, his not-yet wife had cuffed him to the rails. Killian grimaces slightly at the memory. It wasn’t one of his prouder moments.

“Oh, thank god, you’re awake.” Emma’s voice sounded like it was miles away for a moment but she’s right there, looking at him anxiously.

She takes his hand in her hands, interlacing their fingers and giving them a squeeze. She looks like she hasn’t slept in days, but she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen

“Hey, Beautiful. This is a trip down memory lane, huh?” he asks in groggy voice.

The corners of Emma’s lips twitch, but she doesn’t laugh or even smile for that matter. Her eyes are wary and she looks like she’s trying to mentally drill a hole into his head.

“Killian Jones, if you weren’t laying in a hospital bed, I would kill you for running off without me. We’re a team remember?” she whispers fiercely.

“Sorry, love. I got ahead of myself. Good thing death doesn’t tend to stick to me, right?” he tries to joke lightly.

“You scared me, Killian. You can’t joke about that. You can’t. Your heart stopped for a whole minute. I almost lost you again. I can’t, I can’t right now, possibly not ever,” Emma replies, voice wavering.

“Love, you can’t think like that. I’m here. I’m still here. I promise,” he responses, licking his cracked lips.

“You almost weren’t,” she replies, visibly swallowing. “You’ve been out cold for a day and a half. I wasn’t sure you were going to wake up.”

“I did though,” he says lightly because he has to. She looks ready to collapse and if they have the conversation that she is trying to make them have, she’s either going to have a break down or they’re going to have a fight. Neither option seems palatable.

She doesn’t answer him, just keep staring at him while biting her lip. He knows that look. It’s the look she gets when she thinks she’s about to cry, but doesn’t want to because she needs to be strong. He squeezes her hand, closes his eyes for a moment because it hurts when she has that look, especially over him.

“Where are the kids?” he asks.

“Camped outside. Whale doesn’t want to let them in until he knows you’re okay,” Emma says quietly.

“Well, I’m fine. Send them in.”

“Let’s wait until Whale looks at you first,” she replies, tightening her hold on his fingers.

“No. I want the kids,” he counters, trying to keep back his frustration.

He doesn’t care about doctors and examinations or any of that nonsense. He just wants to make sure his little ones are okay. He wants to see his boys smiling, hear his daughter’s laughter and feel Emma’s hand in his. He doesn’t care about anything else.

“Killian, your heart stopped. I don’t want you getting all excited if it’s not good for you,” Emma says insistently. “Please, just be patient. For me.”

He takes their entwined hands and brings them to his chest. Unwinding his fingers from hers, he places her hand flat on his chest, directly over his heart.

“Feel that?” he asks.

Emma doesn’t speak, just nods.

“Does that feel weak to you?” he asks.

“It feels fine, but I’m not a doctor, Killian. I just want to be sure before you see them. And you will see them and my parents and my siblings because they’re here too, but please…I can’t any more chances with your health,” she pleads.

Any words Killian might have said die on his tongue as the door to his room opens and Victor Whale walks in with his eyebrows raised.

“Oh good, you’re actually awake this time around. How are you feeling?” Whale asks, picking up his chart.

“Like I want to see my kids,” Killian replies stubbornly.

Emma gives him a look that makes it very clear that if he wasn’t in a hospital bed then he would be getting a mighty slap on the shoulder. Killian doesn’t pay her much mind, he just focuses all of his attention on Whale.

“Ah yes, I saw the whole brood outside. I’m almost impressed with how long David has been keeping that old grudge. He was staring me down the entire time I was in the hall,” Whale remarks casually, still looking at the charts.

Neither Killian or Emma could think of an appropriate reply to his statement, both awkwardly nodding their heads. If Killian’s hand wasn’t on top of his wife’s, he would be drumming them in his impatience.

Whale doesn’t make any more comments, just looks more at Killian’s chart before looking up.

“Aside from wanting to see the offspring, how are you feeling? Any aches? Pains? Feelings of nausea? Light headedness?” Whale asks, raising his eyebrows again.

“Nothing. Maybe a little aching in my ribs, but that’s it. May I see my family now, please?” Killian responds and this time his annoyance is quite evident in his tone. 

Emma shoots him a warning look.

“That’s normal. You fractured quite a few ribs there,” Whale replies, pausing for a moment. “You’re in quite a fragile state. I don’t want you jostling your injuries too much and making me have to work on you again, so as you can see, I’m a bit hesitant to let the toddler terror squad in.”

This time Killian and Emma are united in their impatience and anger towards the doctor. Both stare him down as if daring him to keep talking so flippantly about their children.

Whale seems to realize that he’s overstepped himself a bit and takes a physical step back under the ferocity of their combined glares.

“I mean, children can be taxing, but if you are capable of managing the clan and making sure everyone is calm, cool and collected, then I don’t see why they can’t come in, but that’s as long as Hook doesn’t move much,” he says, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

“I think we can manage that,” Emma replies, narrowing her eyes.

There’s a frostiness in her voice that makes even a shiver got down Killian’s spine. His wife is a force of nature and he’s half in love with her for it.

“Right,” Whale says awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably. “Fine. They can come in, but make it as brief as you can. Visiting hours end at 6pm and you’re here for the next few days for observation.”

“We got it,” Emma replies tersely.

Whale nods awkwardly, putting the chart back in its place and heading towards the door. It’s clear to both of them that he’s making his escape while he still can in one piece.

“Right. If you need anything, just call the nursing staff. That’s what they’re here for. I’ll let the brood in.”

Whale steps out, opening the door and nodding at whoever is outside. As Whale exits, David and Snow immediately walk in with Henry, Neal, Ruthie, Wes and Beth in tow. The children almost immediately swarm Killian’s bedside. Beth and Ruthie both rise on their toes, curling their little fingers around the bedrail and looking down at Killian with fearful eyes. Henry flanks Emma while Wes unceremoniously climbs into Emma’s lap. David and Snow linger by the doorway with Neal holding onto Snow’s sleeve.

“Well, look who is back from the dead again,” David says with a smile that doesn’t meet his eyes. There’s a fading furrow in his brow that tells Killian that even David was worried about him.

“Can’t get rid of me,” Killian chuckles.

“How are you feeling? Really, Killian, because if you need, we can take the kids and leave you in peace…” Snow says gently.

“I feel like I’ve been hit by a car, which makes sense because I was, but I’m fine. No need to worry about me, Mummy,” Killian teases.

Snow makes a face at his jest, but settles back against David with merely a sigh.

“Hook! You okay, Hook?” Ruthie asks, rattling the rails and looking at him anxiously.

“Right as rain, little one,” Killian reassures her, looking at her warmly.

Killian has a deep fondness for all of the Charming children, especially his wife, but he does have a soft spot for little Ruth Nolan who looks like his daughter’s twin. The resemblance between Ruthie and Beth is uncanny, both of them dark haired and green eyed. Most people aren’t able to tell between them despite their distinct difference in style. Even though they’re still young, Ruthie has always been more femininely dressed while Beth preferred to wear her brothers’ clothing. At this moment though, he can see why people often referred to the two girls as the Charming-Jones twins.

Speaking of his daughter, Beth hasn’t seen a word since she’s entered the room and keeps looking at him like she’s afraid he’s going to keel over in front of her. He can’t have that.

“Hey there, minnow,” he greets his daughter quietly, letting go of his wife’s hand and holding it out to Beth.

Without saying word, Beth takes it and grips it tightly with her little fingers. She’s giving him the same look that her mother had given him not even fifteen minutes ago - like she wants to cry but won’t because she also wants to be tough. It breaks his heart to see that look on his four-year old’s face.

“Hey now, little love, I’m going to be okay. Daddy’s going to be fine,” he murmurs to her. “How about you get up here and Daddy proves it to you, huh?”

“Killian…” Emma’s tone is full of warning.

“It’s fine, Swan. It’s going to be fine,” Killian says, not taking his eyes away from Beth. “Come up, love.”

Beth hoists herself over the rails in a way that violently shakes the bed. Killian winces a bit, but nonetheless encourages her to cuddle into his side. She puts her head into the curve of his shoulder and he places a kiss on the crown of her head.

Ruthie looks at them with puppy eyes and Killian chuckles.

“Want to join us, little love?” Killian asks.

Ruthie nods her vigorously, giving him a big smile.

“Oh, come on! Seriously, Killian?” Emma exclaims in exasperation. “Whale told you to take it easy.”

“I am,” Killian replies while encouraging Ruthie to climb over the rails. “I think you’re just being jealous, Swan, since I have two lovely ladies of royalty paying me call. I’m quite popular, you see.”

Emma snorts.

“Seriously, Hook, you stole away one daughter and now you want to steal away the other, now that’s just greedy,” David calls teasingly as Ruthie settles onto Killian’s other side.

“I can’t help it if your daughters like pirates, Dave,” Killian chuckles before giving both Beth and Ruthie a kiss on the head. “And I wouldn’t say too many words against pirates, mate, seeing that your granddaughter is the queen of them.”

“Yeah! I’m queen of the pirates, Grandpa!” Beth exclaims proudly, expression almost eerily similar to her father’s when he was being smug about something.

Killian help but kiss Beth’s head at her little declaration, looking at David with absolute amusement. She was only four years old, but she was the most fiercely loyal thing that Killian had ever come across. He couldn’t help but love her more for it.

“Can I be on the bed with Dad too?” Wes asks quietly, looking a bit left out.

“No,” Emma says sternly as Killian says “yes.”

“Killian Jones!” Emma scolds her husband as if he were one of their children.

“Let him up, Swan,” Killian replies, patting his thigh. “If I get a little bruised, well at least, Whale gets to finally earn his big paycheck. Ruthie, love, mind climbing over and snuggling up with Beth so that Wes can have a cuddle?”

Henry laughs as Wes climbs over the bed rails to join Killian, Ruthie and Beth. The hospital bed squeaks and whines under all the weight, but does little else as Killian’s seven-year-old crouches on the bed. It’s cramped, but Killian wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The fierce Captain Hook and his band of little children,” Henry snickers.

“Watch it, lad,” Killian warns his stepson with no heat at all. “These little children make a mighty fine crew and they can take you out if they want.”

“Oh yes, I’m no match for their combined cuteness,” Henry agrees while Emma just shakes her head.”

“Ruthie, love, you really need to move and give Wes more space, darling,” Killian requests again as Wes tries to settle comfortably.

Ruthie gives a small nod and Killian finds himself impressed with his tiny sister-in-law as she scales over his lap with more consideration and gentleness than he thought was possible for someone her age. He knows for a fact none of his kids would be as careful with him except for perhaps Harrison.

The moment that his eldest son crosses his mind, Killian realizes that he isn’t in the room. Frowning deeply, he looks up at his wife in confusion.

“Where’s Har?” Killian asks as he brushes Wes’s blonde locks out of his face so he can place a kiss on the boy’s forehead. He absently notes how long his seven-year old’s hair is and thinks it might be time to give the boy a proper haircut.

Emma’s eyes widen in realization and she immediately looks to her parents for an explanation. Both Snow and David look down at Neal who looks fascinated with his shoes.

Neal and Harrison have been close cohorts since Harrison could walk. Where one went, the other generally followed. Emma and Snow loved to tease Killian and David about their sons’ friendship, often calling it the “Bromance Revived,” whatever the hell that meant.

“Neal, do you know where Harrison is?” Snow asks gently.

“He’s outside,” Neal replies, still looking at his shoes.

“Why is Harrison outside, Neal?” Snow asks again, this time with a bit of impatience.

“Because he doesn’t want to see his Dad hurt bad.”

Killian’s heart breaks. Harrison is only eight-years-old but he worries like a middle-aged man. His son has an old but sweet soul and it sometimes hurts to see how much he cares and how much it affects him.

“Alright,” Killian says as he comes to a decision. “Crew, off the bed. I gotta get up.”

The three kids look startled by the command but they obey it. Wes crawls off and settles in Henry’s lap instead of Emma’s, burrowing his face in Henry’s hoodie while the two girls jump off and scramble towards seats near the door. Beth keeps watching Killian warily while Ruthie grabs handfuls of Beth’s hair and just starts playing with it until Beth gives her a whack.

“Killian, no!” Emma says sharply, getting up.

Killian doesn’t pay her much mind as he starts pulling at the bed sheets, entirely prepared to get out of bed and walk down as many hallways as he needs to just so see his son.

“Harrison needs me, Swan,” he says casually. “Can’t laze about while he thinks I’m on my death bed now.”

“Killian Jones! I said no!”

Emma places a firm hand on his shoulder and gives him a fierce glare. Killian grips the sheets tightly as he returns her stare.Their eyes meet and a silent clash of wills takes place between them without so much of a word uttered.

“Emma.”

“Killian.”

“Emma,” he repeats with some determination.

“Killian, no,” she states firmly, squeezing his shoulder in emphasis. “You are not getting out of this bed. I’m serious.”

She doesn’t wait for his reply, instead she turns to her younger brother.

“Neal,” she says softly. “Go get Har and bring him in here. His father would like to see him. Please?”

Neal’s blue eyes dart back and forth between his older sister and his brother-in-law for a moment as if carefully considering what side he wanted to be on. After a few seconds, he gives a tiny nod and quietly leaves the room.

Killian leans back against the pillows with a groan, partially from bending to Emma’s will and partially from the pain of moving around so much while his medication wears off.

“You win, Swan,” he sighs dramatically, looking up at the ceiling.

“When are you ever going to learn that I always win?” she responds with a roll of her eyes.

“Life lesson there, Henry, whenever you and your wife get into a disagreement, more likely or not, your wife is going to win,” Killian says with a huff.

Henry snorts.

“Yeah. I could have told you that.”

Any reply Killian could formulate dies as the door to the room opens again. Neal has Harrison by the wrist and is gently tugging him in. Despite the fact that Neal is nearly two years Harrison’s senior, Harrison towers an inch or two over his uncle. Killian hopes his son’s continuing stature doesn’t impede on their friendship. It was hard enough as a father to swallow the idea that his son was going to surpass him in height, but Killian has long come to accept that it won’t be long before his son passes him. The pediatrician estimates that he will be well over six feet when he reaches his full height.

Despite his tall stature however, Harrison looks more like a little boy than he ever has. His face is pale and his green eyes are wide, darting around the room in a rapid fashion. When they land on Killian, Harrison bites his lip.

“Well, if isn’t our favorite big bear,” Killian says lightly, licking again at his cracked lips. He knows licking at the sores won’t help but he can’t help it.

Harrison says nothing, just keeps staring at him like he’s going to kick the bucket at any moment. Killian sighs.

“Come on, lad, get over here,” he says, patting his leg.

Harrison looks at Neal for a moment and the other nods in Killian’s direction, silently encouraging his nephew to move forward. Tentatively, Harrison steps towards the bed but stops about two feet from Killian’s bedside.

Killian lets out an impatient sigh.

“I’m not dying, lad. Just invalid. I would get out of bed to hug you, but your mother would beat me within an inch of my life.”

“Damn straight,” Emma responds, leaning back in her seat. “You’ve been delinquent enough in your care. I have half the mind to get you a shock collar in order to make you behave.”

Killian’s eyes light up at her words and he opens his mouth to make a response before he glances at Harrison’s still concerned expression and thinks better of it.

“Har, it’s okay, mate. Come here.”

Harrison comes closer and Killian sits up again, ignoring his increasingly throbbing ribs. He reaches forward, capturing his son’s cheek in his palm.

“I’m okay…”

“You weren’t for a while,” Harrison mumbles under his breath. “You wouldn’t wake up and Mom did that thing where she was crying without actually crying.”

Killian sucks in a breath at that bit of information. He turns his head to look at Emma but she’s taken this moment to focus on the dirt on Wes’s face, trying to rub it off with her thumb. She’s determined to not look at him.

“Yeah…I was hurt, but as you can see, I’m getting better. Sometimes we get hurt when we try to protect the people we love and sometimes the people we love get hurt protecting us. It’s a part of life, son.”

“I don’t like it,” Harrison says and there’s a flash of Emma’s stubbornness in his eyes.

“You don’t have to like it, but you have to accept it,” Killian replies in a firm tone. “A lot of things that you don’t like are going to happen in life and you’re going to have to learn to deal with that.”

Harrison scowls at his words and looks down at his feet. Neal nudges him in the side and the two boys share a nonverbal conversation for a moment. Whatever they’re communicating about, they seem to come to some sort of camaraderie because Harrison places a hand on Neal’s shoulder and Neal nudges him again with a smile.

And that’s when Killian sees it a bit. There’s an echo of his and the Prince’s friendship in the boys, that seems a little eerie considering the striking resemblances both boys have to him and David. Everyone always seems to comment on Harrison’s strikingly similar looks, but there’s a lot of David in Neal; it’s just thrown off a bit by the dark color of the boy’s hair.

“Hey Har,” Killian addresses his son.

The boy looks away from his uncle and gives Killian his attention, once more looking nervous. There’s a furrow in his brow that looks out of place on an eight-year-old. Killian swallows for a moment.

“What is it going to take for you to stop worrying all the time, lad?” he asks with a small smile.

“You and Mom not getting hurt all the time,” Harrison mumbles.

Killian sighs before turning to his wife.

“Can you and your parents go take the kids for some jello in the cafeteria or something while me and Harrison talk?” he asks Emma calmly.

“Why do you want to talk to Harrison and not us?” Wes demands, glaring at his older brother.

Killian wants nothing more to groan in frustration. For a while now, he and Emma have been noticing Wes’s aggressive and jealous behavior towards his brother. They have been trying to figure out ways to tackle it with Archie, but they’re still in the beginning stages.

He really doesn’t want to deal with it at the moment.

“I just need to talk to your brother, okay?” Killian tells his youngest son while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Fine, but he doesn’t get ice cream,” Wes replies, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“You do not get make that call, Little Duck,” Emma says sternly.

She scoops Wes out of Henry’s lap. He immediately clings to her, wrapping his arms around her neck and his legs winding around her waist. He looks like an overgrown koala bear. Emma places a kiss on his forehead.

“Alright, let’s get some ice cream crew,” Emma says to the girls, whose eyes immediately light up at the words “ice cream.”

Beth and Ruthie immediately get up, holding each other’s hands as they race out of the room, followed by the adults. David and Snow chuckle as they watch them.

“You would think they were feral or something with the way they act,” Snow comments with a shake of her head as she follows them.

Neal is the last leave, patting Harrison’s shoulder before stepping out to follow the rest of the family. Harrison gives Killian a dubious look once they’re alone.

“Have a seat,” Killian gestures to the spot where Emma had been sitting with his head.

“Am I in trouble?” Harrison asks as he sits, watching his father warily.

People always talk about Harrison’s uncanny resemblance to Killian, but Killian sees a lot of his wife in Harrison’s mannerisms. Emma has a lot of subtle nervous ticks, lip biting and picking at her nails. Harrison does the same. Even now, he’s mirroring her. He sits the same way she does when she agitated, not allowing himself to relax but sitting his butt at the near end of the seat just in case he has to get up and bolt. Where Emma sometimes fiddles with her rings, Harrison plays with his fingers. Killian can’t help but wonder how much is genetic and how much is learned.

“What would you be in trouble for?” Killian asks calmly, sitting up a bit more.

“I don’t know,” Harrison replies, bowing his head and raking his fingers through his hair. “Talking back, I guess…”

“You weren’t talking back” Killian says gently. “You were voicing your thoughts. Sometimes that’s a good thing, sometimes it’s not so good, but I’m glad you did because I don’t like it when you feel like this.”

“I don’t like it either,” Harrison replies with a shrug, still looking down.

“I can’t imagine you do,” Killian sighs, bringing his own hand up to comb through his hair. “You’re quite a perceptive little boy, you know? You get that from me and your Uncle Liam. You’re named for him. Well, your middle name is his…”

Harrison looks up at that.

“Which Uncle Liam?”

“My older brother Liam. Not the one living with Uncle Nemo. He died a long time ago. Long before you were born. He raised me. A real hero,” Killian says with a sad smile.

“How did he die?” Harrison asks.

Killian takes in a sharp breath. He hadn’t been expecting that question. Though considering Harrison’s current state of mind, it shouldn’t have been so surprising.

“It was accident and it’s not nice to talk about,” Killian replies.

“Was it a car accident?”

“No, no. No car involved. Poisonous plants, but no car. Why are you thinking about cars, Har?” Killian asks quietly.

Harrison looks back down at his hands. His fingers keep tracing over the knuckles of his left hand. Killian watches as Harrison bites his lip for a moment.

“Nate and Kelia’s dad died in a car accident not to long ago and Mom said to Grandma that you got hit by a car,” Harrison mumbles after a moment.

Killian’s eyes close at Harrison’s words. He remembers responding to the car accident Harrison’s talking about. Dr. James Thatcher had been drinking when he ran through a red light and hit back of Keith Travel’s truck. Keith had lived. Dr. Thatcher wasn’t so lucky and left behind two kids, Harrison’s classmates.

It’s no wonder that Harrison is a bit out of sorts. He’s just discovering just how fragile life is. First with Dr. Thatcher and now with him laying in a hospital bed. It’s not something Killian wants his eight-year-old thinking about.

“Beth thinks you’re invincible,” Harrison says after a moment. “She probably thinks that you can just walk out of here if you really wanted to. And Mom said you were okay and you weren’t hurt too bad, so Wes believes it. He believes anything she says. But Mom lied. She said you were okay, but she left us at Grandpa and Grandma’s house last night. And she called up Henry for school which she never does. She was sad. Whenever she’s sad, she lies.”

“She does that because she doesn’t want you to be sad too,” Killian responds, leaning back a bit. “Its what parents do. We’re supposed to make sure you grow up and you’re happy. And sometimes that means keeping you out of grown-up things.”

“Well, parents aren’t supposed to die either.” Harrison’s voice cracks a bit and there’s some tears rimming his eyes.

“Harrison, I’m going to live. I’m going to be fine, lad. I promise,” Killian says softly. He wants nothing more than to get up and embrace him, but his ribs are starting to really hurt and he doesn’t want Harrison to know he’s in pain.

“Yeah, this time, but what about next time? You and Mom are cops. I’ve seen the shows. Cops end up dead and I don’t want you to die, Daddy.”

Fat tears roll down Harrison’s cheeks and Killian hates himself for it. Harrison almost never calls him ‘Daddy’ anymore unless he’s incredibly upset. This is his fault. His kid is crying because of him. 

“Hey now. No crying, okay? We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day, or the day after that, Harrison. You can’t live worrying about the might be’s because nothing is certain. Nothing. Worrying about death, sickness, heartache and things that haven’t happened yet is no way to live, son, because that isn’t living. That’s just existing. I don’t want that for you or for anyone really,” Killian says gently.

He leans forward so he can brush his hand against his son’s face. A jolt of pain runs through him, but he does his best to ignore it.

Harrison looks up at him with his big green eyes and it doesn’t matter how much Harrison looks like him, all Killian can see is Emma’s eyes on his son’s face.

“Can you promise me that? That you’re going to stop worrying about what can happen and just live your life like a normal kid?” Killian asks, wiping away a tear from his cheek.

“You’re asking me to pretend I don’t know things,” Harrison mumbles.

Killian sighs.

“I’m not asking you pretend, I’m asking you not to let it consume you. If you promise to not to let it get to you, I can promise that Mom and I won’t let anything happen to each other.”

“But you can’t promise that!” Harrison says loudly. His eyes go wide as if even he is surprised by his own outburst.

“You’re right that’s not something I can really promise, but it’s something I can promise to do my best to do. I promise to try. Can you do the same and try to let the grown-ups worry about grown-up stuff?”

Harrison bites his lip. He looks like he wants to argue more, but after a moment, he gives a small nod. Killian lets out a sigh of relief. This conversation has been exhausting.

“Praise the Gods,” he chuckles, wincing slightly at the continuing pain in his ribs.

“I want you and Mom to sign a contract though and put that promise in writing,” Harrison says stubbornly.

Killian blinks.

“You want us to sign a contract? Where the hell did you get that idea?” he asks, staring at his son in disbelief.

“The television. All the lawyers make people sign contracts so that they keep their word,” Harrison explains.

Killian lets out a laugh of disbelief. Of course, the kid got it from watching the television. It seems watching that blasted thing has given him a lot of strange ideas. He needs to have a chat with his wife about possibly getting rid of the bloody thing before he and the other little ones get any more ideas.

“Naturally,” Killian says with a shake of his head. “We can talk about it when we get home from this dreadful place, okay?”

“You’re just saying that because you hope I’m going to forget,” Harrison says with slight accusation in his voice.

“You forget about something?” Killian scoffs. “Not bloody likely. You’re the kid that doesn’t forget anything. Not even your chores like a normal kid. No, I promise, we will talk, but I’m pretty you’re missing on some good ice cream right now. You can go get some you know…”

“I would rather stay here with you,” Harrison says quietly. “Besides, Mom is going to bring me some.”

“You think so?” Killian asks, rising his eyebrows.

“Yeah, that’s what Mom does. She makes sure everyone gets ice cream, even you,” Harrison responds with a small shrug.

“We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we.”

No medicine could have made Killian feel any better than watching the triumphant look on his Harrison’s face when Emma did return with two cups of vanilla ice cream. Not even the ice cream itself could have been sweeter than his son’s smile. And if he had to sign a bloody contract to keep it there, he would.


End file.
